By Alex Clark ’05
Hamilton, NY — For the third time in school history, the Colgate football team has won the Patriot League championship, sharing this year’s title with Fordham University. The Raiders, who defeated Holy Cross 25-20 Saturday afternoon, finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall mark and a 6-1 league record to become only the fifth team in school history to win nine or more games in a season.
The victory was a tough fought battle on the snowy and muddy turf of Andy Kerr Stadium, and wasn’t decided until the final three seconds when cornerback T.J. Smith picked off a pass in the end zone to kill the Crusaders’ last chance for the upset on fourth down and three.
There were many heroes for Colgate, which will hear on Sunday whether it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Sophomore wide receiver Luke Graham grabbed four passes for 137 yards and one touchdown; sophomore running back Ray LaMonica gained 101 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown; junior linebacker Tem Lukabu made 20 tackles including one interception; and sophomore placekicker Lane Schwarzberg broke the school record for field goals in a season with a pair between the uprights.
Colgate opened the scoring with 2:58 remaining in the first quarter, when Schwarzberg booted a 29-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead. Holy Cross tied the game early in the second quarter on Ryan Rolfert’s 25-yard field goal.
Following the Crusaders’ FG, the Raiders took over on their own 17-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage sophomore Chris Brown hit a streaking Graham down the middle for an 83-yard touchdown pass putting the home team ahead 10-3. The touchdown pass equaled the third longest in school history and was Brown’s first collegiate TD pass.
The Crusaders came back to tie the game at 10-10 before halftime, when Brian Hall scampered 12 yards for a touchdown with 1:19 left in the half, capping a 62-yard drive in eight plays.
Colgate regained the lead 13-10 on the opening drive of the second half when Schwarzberg collected his school record 13th field goal of the season with a 30-yard effort.
Holy Cross took its first lead of the game when Hall threw the ball across his body and to a wide-open Bill Pragalz to put the finishing touch on a 73-yard drive from four-yard out.
J.B. Gerald’s 49-yard kickoff return gave the Raiders wonderful field position for the ensuing drive. Colgate quickly scored a touchdown of its own when LaMonica scampered 13 yards into the end zone. Schwarzberg’s missed extra point kept the lead to 19-17 late in the third quarter.
Holy Cross drove inside the Colgate five-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but the Raider defense forced the Crusaders to settle for a field goal and a one-point lead, 20-19.
Trickery led the Raiders to the Crusader end zone on the following drive. LaMonica took a halfback option toss and lobbed the ball deep to Graham who made a leaping grab at the Holy Cross four-yard line. Justin Polk’s powerful touchdown rush and a failed two-point conversion try gave the Raiders a 25-20 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Holy Cross held the Raiders on a fourth-and-one carry on their own 37-yard line, forcing a turnover on downs with just over two minutes remaining. The Crusaders systematically moved down the field to the Colgate four- yard line with nine seconds left on the clock. Smith intercepted the ball in the end zone, however, and secured the Raider victory.